Scripture: John 17:1-26
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn Jesus prayed (and for us) while he was here on earth.
- Students will learn Jesus prayed Christians would be united.
- Students will learn Jesus prayed that we would get to spend eternity with him in Heaven.
- Students will learn how to work with other children from a nearby congregation to complete a service project.
Guiding Question: How can working with other Christians greater meet a need in the community?
Materials: The materials will vary depending on the service project your students choose.
Procedure: Review the scriptures about prayer. Explain how Jesus modeled prayer for us and demonstrated the importance of it in our relationship with God. Emphasize that Jesus prayed that Christians would be united – meaning all Christians would work together to serve Jesus and share him with others. Explain that when we try to do things with God, it is always good to have other Christians to support you and help you. With others helping, you can find more successes than you even imagined!
Introduce the service project. Tell the students they are going to partner with children in a congregation close to you to complete a service project of their choice. Have the students come up with a service project that would meet a need in their community. While creating the project, have the students plan how they can include and work with the other children from the congregation they choose. You and the students will work together to partner up with the congregation and set up times to work together and implement the project. After the project, have the students come together to discuss how they feel a greater impact was made because of working with other Christians.
Additional Questions: How can the church be involved in meeting the needs of a community?
Supplemental Activity: Have the students design and implement a service project with your church to meet a need in the community. Have the students plan ways to involve the church and be united in meeting the need.